IMPROMPTU PLAN

Hi, Am back though after a really long break (Please don’t read as Holiday). To put it straight was caught up in the mundane routine.

We did a Hyderabad trip and Sridhar took some time to beautifully pen down our experience in Warangal. Hope you have read and enjoyed the article, if not read it now.
I hope disclaimers need not be repeated at my end, so let’s go with the flow.

Over period of time when I didn’t write I was busy reading various blogs. I realized there are several bloggers like us. On reading some post I kept wondering whether our travel experiences are as *good as theirs (*unable to find an appropriate emotion attached) the next thought was, are we travelling enough.

Then as usual gyaan prevails and I think not that everyone is same hence our experiences big or small are “Unique”. Then I sing to myself “what a wonderful world…………” and start to pen down my thoughts.

So while everyone around me is chirping away about all their international trips, INDIA still lures me. I started this article with an intention to pen down something on one of my international trips, but I am not interested in it anymore so let’s save it for later.
Let me kindle your imagination and take you through an experience bound travel trip I and Sridhar took few years ago. Mind it, we are still exploring places in Maharashtra. Please explore these places before it is crowded; do they say “virginity is intact”.

One Saturday winter morning, two individuals were desperate to get out of the city life, however clueless where to go; they discussed various options for close to an hour and give up. Spontaneity got the best of them, their eyes twinkled, no words were exchanged and in the next 10 minutes they were busy packing their stuff in their crampster (a bag tied to the bike). You might be wondering that I haven’t disclosed the destination yet, THERE WAS NO DESTINATION. Like I read somewhere …..

So what does one pack on such random trips:- pair of utilitarian clothes, tools, bike oil, basic first aid kit and a camera, some cash of course, all your vehicle papers (RC book, PUC check, Insurance), we also carry a bed sheet as accommodation is also a random pick based on availability. Mobile, charger, ipad don’t figure in our list however you may consider. As it was winter, we were already wearing our jackets, socks, shoes, most importantly helmet. The key is to travel as light as possible.

Once packing was done, we set the crampster on our bike and headed to the closest petrol pump, to ensure that the tank is full and air level is apt. We just cruise around randomly, have breakfast in a small road side eatery “thela”. We enjoy the beauty of each field, hillock, stream that passes by and reach a temple. We are not bound by direction or destination, the journey is the destination, plans can be made, changed, flexibity is available.

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Little did we know where we were, we went and had Darshan in the temple (gave offerings). There we read about the temple to realize we were at Vajreshwari. Let me tell you a bit about this place, I have memories of a family picnic here while I was a little kid. My uncle had then tried to explain the importance of the place which fell on deaf ears.
Vajreshwari, is in Bhiwandi district, and is at the bank of Tansa river, the temple is built on the Mandagiri hillock, which was formed out of a volcanic eruption and is surrounded by hills on all sides. There are around twenty-one hot water springs around the temple. Information on history, puranas associated to the place is amply available on the internet.

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Ok ok .. now let’s get back to our journey, we realized were at Bhiwandi and contemplated whether it’s a good idea to return home or move ahead, we decided to proceed ahead. We pass through quaint villages and reach Vikramgad (a rustic resort), however decide to proceed.

Soon it was sunset no inhabitation visible no sign of any stay provision. As a principle we don’t drive post 6 pm and before the dawn breaks, desperation takes over… finally with enquiries we are informed by a passerby that there’s a resort close by. We reach a cute looking resort “Sunset Resort” we breathe a sigh of relief. Alas! we are informed that the resort is beyond packed. After lot of discussion the resort manager says he has a hotel close by where he could make some space for us however he made appropriate disclaimers. We agree as we were not quite sure if we could find any accommodation close by. The manager takes us to the restaurant attached to the Sunset resort where we have a decent dinner.

We then head to his hotel (I don’t recollect the name as I don’t want to ever go back to that place) it’s a rundown place. The room was so to say 4 walls and a roof, I was thankful we were carrying our bedsheet. We moved the bed to the middle of the room and spread the bedsheet and snored to glory.

Next day we are up by 6 and immediately wrapped up and left to explore the place. We were at “Jawhar” a hill station, the place is only 117 km from Thane. We reached a spot which looked like a place one could trek and this area had beautiful bungalows, mountain as back drop. We decide to park the bike and trek down. Our discovery session lands us near a “waterfall” in full gush, that’s when we learnt that Jawhar has 365 days waterfall known as “Kal Mandavi” waterfall.

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Roaming here and there we find that the reservoirs have been opened up, the streams were enticing we take a dip. We noticed that the plains had short peculiar trees.

We halted at lake view dhabha and had a sumptuous breakfast and also gathered information about the place .The dhabha also had bunglows which then costed approx. Rs.5000/- for 10 ppl.

We then visited the Jai Vilas Palace the historic tourist attraction in Jawhar. The palace was built by Raja Yashwant Rao Mukane. Palace used to be a residential palace of the Mukane royal family. The palace is surrounded by a beautiful garden with a dense forest having cashew trees. The surrounding is mesmerizing.

We then headed to the Shivaji temple known as “Shirpamal”, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had stayed here over night en-route to his Surat conquest.

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We then return home to get back to the grind. However smile on our face makes it easy to drift through the week. Such unplanned, short trips make lot of sense when life is jam packed and long holidays are not a possibility. I urge you to take breaks, explore places and share your experiences with us. Please mail us at # sridhar.srividhya@gmail.com, if we like them it will be posted on our site with due credits to you.

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2 thoughts on “IMPROMPTU PLAN”

Srividhya …. frankly speaking I hate reading from childhood but really the way you have pen down in such an excellent way I couldn’t stop reading further….. Even I always think of doing the same but have never made an attempt of such an excellent drive…. Do keep sharing such experiences…👍🏻

It is rather inspiring for me to take such short trips…too much planning not required…what is required is only the will to explore different places and experiences. The expression is so good that I am almost there while I am reading your blog. Keep up this spirit Srividhya and Sridhar.👍👏🙌